The Man With The Lion Tattoo
by MessOfADreamer4
Summary: One shot: Takes place after the first sneak peek for 3x15. Regina runs away from Robin a second time, but this time it's different...Hopefully this isn't too AU. Contains mild spoilers for 3x15 Definite OutlawQueen


**ABC released a sneak peek today for "Quiet Minds" and it's filled with all sorts of Outlaw Queen goodness! This is my take on what might happen after said sneak peek. Contains mild spoilers for 3x15, so read at your own risk ;)**

**Disclaimer: Sadly I will never ever own Once Upon A Time, none of the characters belong to me. **

* * *

The Man with the Lion Tattoo

She closed the door behind her, leaning back into it and closed her eyes shuffling through her thoughts. He was the man the lion tattoo, her supposed soul mate declared by Tinkerbell all those years ago. She couldn't believe it, they'd almost kissed back there in the farmhouse and he _flirted _with her. She could remember the last time she felt like this, to have butterflies in her stomach. It was with Daniel in what seemed to be a lifetime ago. Somehow in the matter of minutes Robin had been able to open her up and she'd almost let him in. That was until she saw the tattoo inked on his wrist, _the_ tattoo. She ran away from him a second time, leaving him stunned she was sure but you just couldn't tell a person "oh, by the way we're soul mates." That would be crazy and most likely just scare him off but surprisingly that was the last thing she wanted to happen. He just seemed so right. He hadn't been fazed by her past; in fact he seemed to see a different woman inside of her, the person she had always wanted to be for Henry and these days what she was becoming. She wasn't the Evil Queen anymore, more like bold and audacious as Robin had put it. She smiled at the thought of him and his not so subtle flirting then she thought back to his tattoo. Strangely she wasn't as afraid anymore. It had caught of her off guard that's for sure but she didn't run out of fear this time. No, she ran because needed to breathe, to wrap her brain around what had just happened. Then another thought came to her. What if they'd already gone through this in the Enchanted Forest last year? It was a weird thought, but at the moment it didn't matter. They would find out someday, she knew this curse wouldn't last forever but until then why not make the most of it? She owed it to herself to give it a try, to open herself up to love again. She had been given a second chance and she wasn't going to let it slip away this time.

Instead of taking her jacket off and going inside to make dinner she opened the door and headed back outside. She walked over to Granny's where Robin and his Merry Men were staying for the time being and hoped he was there. The restaurant wasn't very full, only a few tables were occupied when she entered and Ruby was busy reading the latest gossip magazine behind the counter.

"Ruby?" She called out to the entranced girl.

"Oh, Regina. How can I help you?" She stood up and placed her magazine on the counter.

"I was wondering if you could tell me which room Robin Locksley was staying in?"

"For sure, just a sec." She pulled out a large book that kept record of every guest who stayed in the bed & breakfast and ran her finger down the pages looking for his name,"

"Here he is, room 26"

"Thank you," she smiled

"No problem," Ruby called out, as Regina left.

She stood in front of room 26 and prayed that he wasn't too mad at her for leaving so abruptly earlier. She knocked on the door twice taking a deep breath waiting for an answer.

Suddenly the door opened but it wasn't Robin, instead it was his 4 year old son Roland, who was holding a stuffed monkey and was too cute for words.

"Miss 'Gina!" He smiled brightly; they had become close in the past few days.

"Hi Roland, is your Papa home?" She asked kneeling down to his height.

He nodded, calling for him loudly.

"You don't need to call so loudly lad," He said ruffling his boys' hair smiling, before looking up at their visitor, "Regina…uh, Roland go inside and play with your new toy, okay? I'll be right here, don't worry."

Roland nodded and dragged his stuffed monkey with him heading back into their room with a smile on his face.

"So what brings you here milady? You ran off in quite a hurry back there,"

She took a breath and looked him in the eye, "That's why I came. I want to apologize, I shouldn't had left so fast, I was just startled." She suddenly felt shy, and played with her hands.

"What startled you? Did I do something wrong?" he asked sincerely. He had never wanted to scare her off.

"No, not exactly. I saw your tattoo, your lion tattoo." She had to tell him, it was the only way, even if it was crazy. He looked utterly confused as she suspected, but who wouldn't?

"What does any of this have to do with my tattoo?"

"An old friend years ago, just before I became the evil queen told me she could bring me happiness, for me that was love something I had lost long before. She had pixie dust and it led to me to a tavern in town, to a man who had a lion tattoo. She said he was my soul mate but that night I was too afraid to meet him so I did what I was best at and ran. I chose revenge over love." She looked up and found his gaze, about to continue when he finished her thought.

"So I'm the man the pixie dust led you too that night?" he asked

"Yes, so you're not totally freaked out?" she said, giving him a smile.

"Just a little but if you felt anything I did up in the farmhouse then I think we'll be quite alright."

He laughed inching closer to her, slowly closing the gap between them brushing a piece of her hair out behind her ear and cupping her face.

"Well, pixie dust never lies" She smiled, looking into his blue orbs.

"No, it does not," He whispered, taking her lips in his closing the final gap between them. She ran her fingers through his hair, getting lost in him. Their lips creating a delicate dance.

They separated for air but he kissed her once more before their foreheads touched. They were both smiling, "I could definitely get used to this," he whispered, looking into her chocolate eyes. She definitely could get used to this too. He smelled like forest and tasted like whiskey but she'd never felt so at home.


End file.
